It's Not Over
by Tori of Lorien
Summary: When Achilles is on a nature escape, he gets news that he's going to have to take in his young cousin. When he takes Patroclus hunting to get him used to him, tragedy strikes when the boy is injured by the same men who killed his parents.
1. Chapter 1

**It's Not Over**

**Summary**: Slight AU. "He came to me for protection, but I did not give it." While Achilles is on one of his nature escapes, he gets news that he is going to have to take in one of his few remaining relatives. When he takes his young cousin, Patroclus, hunting to get more comfortable with him, tragedy strikes when the same men who killed his parents injure the young boy. Achilles wants revenge, but he also has to keep his cousin alive…

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Achilles, Odysseus, or Patroclus (darn it), but I do own the evil soldiers!

**A/N**: Hey! This is my third Troy story, so I hope you enjoy it. This was supposed to be a one-shot, but I'm telling you now that it's going to be more than that. I had to divide it up. But, all that means is that it's going to be a longer story! Anyway, it's named after the song "It's Not Over" by Daughtry, so if you know it, think of that song when you read this. If not, that's okay. You don't need to know it to enjoy it! A special shout-out to Halofin17 for this one. Halo, I just want to thank you for being my friend and giving me the chance to get to know you more. It means a lot to me, and I'm glad you're having as much fun as I am. Thanks a lot! Good luck on your stories! Anyway, this is to everyone now, enjoy!

Achilles sighed as he set his book down, running his hand through his long blond hair nervously. Patroclus, a ten-year-old boy who was his cousin that he had never met before, was going to arrive at any minute. He hadn't heard much about why the boy was coming to stay with him, but he was very anxious. He wasn't too much older than Patroclus, and he had never taken care of a child before.

He jumped slightly when the flap doors of his tent were pushed aside, and Odysseus, his friend from Ithaca, entered. A young boy with blond hair that was similar to Achilles' came in behind him, his eyes looking everywhere except at Achilles. This must have been his cousin.

"Thank you for bringing him, Odysseus." Achilles said, getting to his feet to stand next to him. "I appreciate your assistance."

"It is my pleasure, Achilles." Odysseus replied. "You are my friend after all." He then looked down on the young boy who was sticking close to him. "Come, Patroclus. Say hello to your cousin."

The boy slowly raised his eyes to look at Achilles, but he only merely nodded before looking away again. Odysseus knelt down next to him so that he could look him in the eyes. "Patroclus, why don't you step outside for a moment?" he asked. "I'll be with you shortly."

Patroclus looked up at him with scared, helpless eyes, then dropped his gaze as he looked down at the ground. He slowly turned around and walked outside of the tent, letting the flaps close behind him. Achilles sighed as he turned to his friend. "Wonderful. He doesn't talk?" he said.

"You must understand, Achilles," Odysseus muttered as he got to his feet, "he has just come from a very traumatizing experience."

Achilles looked at him curiously. "What happened?" he asked. "I haven't heard much about the situation. All I know is that I'm supposed to take him in."

"A few days ago, a small group of soldiers attacked the small village where Patroclus lived, killing his parents. No one knows where they were from." Odysseus answered gravely. "I happened to be in the area at the time, and I took the boy with me since I knew his parents well. He couldn't stay there. We traveled toward you, since you're his only remaining relative. You're the only one he could go to."

Achilles was silent. If he had known what had happened to the child, he would have been more kind to him when he had first walked in… Odysseus sighed. "I will leave you two to be acquainted."

The man from Ithaca walked out of the tent with Achilles behind him. They found Patroclus sitting in the grass a few feet away, holding a fluffy flower absentmindedly in his hand. A sudden wind came, and the fluffs floated off, mingling with his golden hair as it flew back behind him. The ten-year-old looked up when he heard them approaching. Odysseus knelt down next to him and placed a sturdy hand on his shoulder. "I have to leave now, Patroclus." he told him. "Do not fear. You will be safe here with your cousin, Achilles."

Patroclus looked past him at the other blond haired man, who smiled kindly at him. The young boy's deep blue eyes immediately went back to Odysseus when he stood up. "I will speak with you soon, Achilles." the man said. "I wish you the best of luck."

Before he could walk away from them, Patroclus got to his feet and grabbed his hand, hoping that he wouldn't leave. "Patroclus, it is all right." Odysseus muttered, gently prying the boy's hand off his. "I will speak with you soon also. But for now, stay with Achilles. He will protect you."

Reluctantly, Patroclus watched as Odysseus left them, then slowly walked over to the man that was left with him. Achilles watched silently as the boy approached him, then gasped when his deep blue eyes met with his own. There was so much fear in those wide, innocent eyes, and yet, there was so much hatred; hatred for the men that had killed his parents. Achilles feared those eyes.

He didn't know what to say as he looked down at the child. He was so young, and he had gone through an event that he had never experienced before. What was there _to_ say?

Patroclus sighed and looked away from him, walking around him and entering the tent. Achilles followed, watching as the boy looked around at the small tent blankly. "Are you hungry?" he asked. "You can come with me to hunt for food if you would like."

The young boy shook his head as he sat down on the ground. Achilles sighed, running his hand through his long hair again. How could he take care of this child if he didn't speak to him? "You'll sleep over there." Achilles told him, pointing to the far end of the tent where a few blankets and a small pillow had been placed. Patroclus nodded, not saying a word.

Achilles bent down and picked up the bow that was lying by his feet. "I am going out to hunt for us anyway." he muttered. "Are you sure that you do not want to come?"

Again, he got the same response; a mere shake of the head. Achilles sighed. "All right. I will return soon."

The blond man left the tent, not looking back. Patroclus watched him, then got to his feet and walked over to where Achilles had said he was going to be sleeping. He laid down facing the tent wall, feeling exhausted from the days of traveling with Odysseus. He tried to forget what had happened, but the events of that dark day haunted him, even as he drifted reluctantly into sleep…

Xxxxxxxxxx

He was alone. Beginning to panic, Patroclus ran down the dark hallway, looking around and desperately calling out for his parents. But they were nowhere to be seen, much to the young boy's horror.

_Finally, he found them, standing alone in a dark room. Patroclus smiled, beginning to run toward them. But he stopped when someone stepped out of the shadows, sword held high. He screamed when he saw the dark eyes of the man as he mercilessly slaughtered his parents, the two people he loved most in the world. Then, he gasped when the man's eyes landed on him, almost seeing inside of his mind, and he began to back out of the room._

_Suddenly, strong arms grabbed him roughly from behind, dragging him away into the shadows. "Let me go!" Patroclus shouted fearfully as he saw the glimmer of a sword in the moonlight. "Let me go!"_

Xxxxxxxxxx

"Let me go!"

"Patroclus, it is only I. You are safe. No one is going to hurt you now."

"No! Let me go!"

Achilles sighed. When he had returned from hunting, he found that Patroclus had drifted off into a light sleep. Now, he seemed to be having a nightmare. He had gently grabbed the child's shoulders to try to wake him, but he was terrified of him. He realized that his young cousin must have thought that he was some unseen danger, one that was going to hurt him…

After a few minutes of thrashing around and trying to escape from his grasp, Patroclus quickly opened his eyes, breathing hard. He calmed down slightly when he saw Achilles, but that didn't stop the flow of tears coming from his eyes.

"Are you all right?" Achilles asked with worry, fearful that he may have hurt himself.

"Fine." Patroclus answered quietly, slowly sitting up as he wiped his tears away. "It was only a dream…"

"It must have been terrible." Achilles remarked. "Was it about what happened to your parents?"

Patroclus was silent, more tears filling his eyes when he heard the question. He sighed, wiping them away. "I do not wish to speak of it."

Achilles sighed, but then he smiled slightly. "All right. I understand that it must be hard for you to speak of." he replied. "I managed to catch some things for dinner for us to have, but I have to cook it still. You can have some if you like, there is plenty. Come on out if you feel up to it."

The young boy nodded and watched as Achilles stood up and left the tent. He heard the sound of a fire starting, and soon, he was able to smell the scent of cooking meat. Patroclus stood up and slowly wandered to the entrance of the tent, silently looking out at what his cousin was doing.

Achilles was sitting behind the fire he had created, the light of the flames mingling with the light of the setting sun as it reflected off his face. The meat from the animals that he had caught was hanging over it, slowly changing from a deep pink to a light brown. As the young boy watched him, he began to think that living with this man might not be such a terrible thing. Maybe, just maybe, he would be safe.

Xxxxxxxxxx

In the forest near the hill where they were staying, a pair of dark eyes watched them from the shadows. "One may have escaped from us, but he will not be able to escape for long." a man muttered, turning to look back at the soldiers that were with him.

One of them stepped forward. "What shall we do, Teleus?" he asked.

The man smirked. "We will wait until the moment is right, and then we will make our move." the solder named Teleus answered. "Then, everyone from that godforsaken village… will be dead."

**A/N**: Well, hope you liked chapter one! As I said earlier, this was meant to only be a oneshot, but it's going to be longer. This is my first story with Patroclus being young, so please be nice. Reviews are much appreciated. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: Achilles and Patroclus are not mine, but I do own the villains.

**A/N**: Hey! I'm sorry that it took me so long to update this. I've had a major writer's block on it, but after talking to **Halo**, I was able to get this story back on the right track (or "write" track, lol). Thank you for all of your help! Thank you to **Halo**, **jimmy-barnes-13**, **HospitalHorror**, **Snowgurl54**, and **13BlackAnGELs** for your reviews. All right! Hopefully you're all still with me. Here's chapter two!

Chapter 2

Patroclus quickly opened his eyes as he awoke from another nightmare. He sat up and looked around at the dark tent, wondering what time it was. The sun had set hours before and had been replaced with the moon, which now cast its soft rays down on the sleeping earth below. Achilles was across the tent from him, sleeping soundly. The young boy almost envied him for being able to sleep. His older cousin wasn't being plagued with bloody memories, which was the part he envied most of all.

The boy suddenly gasped and put a hand to his stomach, realizing that he was hungry. He hadn't eaten the food that Achilles had offered him earlier, but he knew that there was plenty that was left over. It wouldn't hurt to have some now. Patroclus got to his feet and slowly and quietly walked past Achilles so that he wouldn't wake him and left the tent.

The moonlight lit his way as he walked across the lawn, searching for the meat that had been left over. He soon found it, hanging above him. Achilles had tied it up higher above the tent so that any night scavengers couldn't get at it, and he had put salt on it so that it would be preserved. Judging by where it was, the boy knew that he would have to climb the tree nearest it to reach it.

Patroclus sighed to himself, walking over to the tree nearest the meat and began to climb it. He pulled himself up through the thin branches, keeping an eye on the tent to make sure that he was climbing high enough. When he was sure that he was level with the meat, the boy cautiously climbed out onto the branch, cringing when it creaked a little under his weight. He laid down on the branch to spread out his weight over it as best as he could, and he slowly reached out a shaking arm toward the meat.

Suddenly, he gasped as the branch snapped underneath him, and he cried out as he plummeted toward the ground below. He closed his eyes as the wind was knocked out of him when he hit the grass, but he slowly sat up and rubbed his head. Patroclus sighed and looked up at the hanging meat. Now how was he going to get at it?

Then, Patroclus gasped when he heard a low growl from the shadows of the trees in front of him. He began to back quickly away in horror when he saw a pair of yellow eyes appear in the darkness, glaring at him as the sound of the growl escalated. He covered his head in fear, hoping that this action would at least provide _some_ protection…

All of a sudden, the hidden creature whined loudly in pain. Patroclus slowly lowered his arms, watching as the creature slunk back into the trees, its whimpering fading to silence as it ran. The young boy looked behind him, shocked to see Achilles standing by the tent, his bow held out in front of him. He lowered it when he saw that the creature was gone. Then, he looked down on his cousin.

"What are you doing out here?" Achilles asked. Then, he saw the broken tree branch near him, and his eyes traveled upward into the tree above. "Did you want some food? You could have woken me…"

Patroclus silently shook his head. He had been hungry, but he didn't have much of an appetite anymore.

"Come back inside then." Achilles muttered, opening one of the flaps to the tent and throwing his bow inside. He looked back and saw that his cousin hadn't moved.

The ten-year-old boy looked back at him with wide, fearful eyes that shone in the moonlight. He was terrified of the creature that he had seen, wondering if there were others that were still hiding in the shadows of the night. But then, Patroclus closed them as he slumped forward a little. His clear exhaustion pushed away his fear, but he was afraid to let himself slip into sleep. He was afraid of what he would see…

Achilles sighed when he saw this action. The child must have been exhausted, and he doubted that he would make it inside of the tent before the sun rose on his own. The warrior knew what had to be done.

Patroclus tensed up when he felt his cousin gently pick him up and hold him in his arms. "It's all right, Patroclus." Achilles told him softly as he began to walk back to the tent. "You know that I will not harm you. You are safe with me."

The youth heard his words, and because of a reason unknown to him, he believed them. Relived at the feeling of security, Patroclus relaxed in his cousin's arms as they entered the tent. Achilles walked over to where his cousin had been sleeping and tried to set him down. He was startled to feel that Patroclus held on tightly to his arm, not letting go.

Achilles sighed, sitting down on the blankets. "Come on, Patroclus. Lay back down." He sighed to himself again when he saw that the boy was not giving up. "All right then. I'll stay with you if you wish me to."

Patroclus smiled slightly as he positioned himself more comfortably in Achilles arms, closing his eyes again. He knew that he wouldn't have any more nightmares plaguing his mind that night.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Patroclus slowly opened his eyes to the smell of cooking meat. He slowly sat up, seeing that Achilles had laid him down on his make-shift bed, and that the great warrior was nowhere to be seen. The young boy slowly got to his feet and walked over to the tent flaps, squinting in the bright light of the morning sun.

Achilles was sitting before a fire that he had started, the meat from the previous day hanging over the crackling flames as it was being warmed. The great warrior looked behind him when he heard the slight rustle of the tent flap running over the blades of grass, and he smiled when he saw his young cousin.

"Come, Patroclus. Sit by the fire." Achilles said, gesturing to a spot next to him. "The morning air is chilly."

Patroclus slowly lowered the tent flap behind him and walked forward, sitting down on the grass next to the warrior. The warmth radiating from the fire felt comfortable, like a warm blanket against the chilly air around him.

"How did you sleep?" Achilles asked, squinting up at the sky as the sun rose higher.

The boy took a moment to answer as he absentmindedly picked up a single blade of grass and stared into the light of the dancing flames. "Better that you were with me." Patroclus finally muttered, hoping that he wasn't sounding too childish. "I didn't have any nightmares."

The great warrior smiled slightly as he placed his hand carefully on the boy's back. "I didn't leave you last night, Patroclus. The only time I set you down was a few minutes ago so that I could start warming up our food." Achilles told him sincerely. "The night made me realize something, though."

Patroclus looked up at him curiously. "What?" he wondered.

"I never before realized that I could sleep while sitting up." Achilles replied with a slight laugh.

A smile spread across Patroclus' young face, lighting up his features. The great warrior realized that this was the first true smile he had ever seen from the boy. But then, his young cousin looked back at the fire, his smile vanishing. "I saw them…" he muttered without feeling.

Achilles was unsure of what Patroclus meant at first, but then he realized that me must have been speaking of the nightmare that he had had the previous night and hadn't wished to tell. The great warrior nodded, encouraging him to continue.

"I saw them… my parents… being killed by the men that invaded our village." Patroclus said so quietly that Achilles had to strain his ears to hear him. "I tried to run, but they caught me. I begged for them to let me go, but… but they wouldn't listen. They… they were going to kill me…"

Tears had formed in his eyes at this point, and the great warrior was saddened when he saw that he was fighting to hold them back. "Patroclus," Achilles said, placing his hand on top of his blond head, "I'm sorry that you had to see that for a second time in your nightmare. But I promise you that these men will not lay a hand on you. All right?"

Patroclus looked up at him for a moment and then nodded. Maybe there was a chance that he was safe with Achilles after all…

"Let's get some food in you then." Achilles told him, reaching carefully over the flames to check to see if the meat was warm enough. "That will make you feel better. Then, if you would like, you could go hunting with me once we're finished eating so we have enough food for tonight."

Patroclus nodded again, grateful to at last be eating. He had the feeling that staying with Achilles wouldn't be such a horrible thing.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Achilles led the way through the forest trail, his bow in front of him. Patroclus slowly followed, looking around him at the forest in awe. The great warrior smiled to himself at his cousin's wonder. He had felt the same way when his father had first taken him hunting.

Then, he put his arm out to stop Patroclus as he also came to a stop. The boy looked up at his older cousin with confusion, but Achilles explained with a mere point of his finger. "There."

Patroclus looked ahead of them into the trees and saw a large rabbit chewing on some leaves. "It won't be much," Achilles said quietly so that he wouldn't scare the creature as he pulled out an arrow and aimed, "but it's a start. We'll have to find more…"

Then, he loosed his arrow.

Patroclus watched with horror as the rabbit fell out of sight, dead. The forest seemed to disappear around him and was replaced with his dark home as he suddenly remembered the night his parents were murdered. He saw them, lying dead at the feet of unknown soldiers… The young boy was suddenly brought back out of his thoughts by his cousin's voice.

"Come, Patroclus." Achilles muttered, gesturing to the place where the rabbit fell.

But the young boy shook his head. "Could I wait here while you bring it back?" Patroclus asked quietly in almost a whisper. "I'm not sure that I really want to… to see it…"

Achilles inwardly sighed, but he nodded to cover it up. "All right. You don't have to. I'll only be gone for a minute. Don't move."

Patroclus nodded, watching as his cousin went to get the rabbit that he had shot. He had to convince himself that he wasn't going to be gone for long. He would return soon…

The great warrior glanced back to see if he could see Patroclus. The boy was mainly out of sight, but he could still make out traces of his blond hair through the tree trunks. Achilles bent down to grab the rabbit, but froze when he heard a noise echo softly in the trees. The warrior looked above him at the canopies as he slowly got to his feet, trying to find where the noise had come from. When he heard the same sound a second time, he knew exactly where the sound was coming from…

"Patroclus, run!" he shouted, abandoning the rabbit as he quickly raced toward the boy.

Patroclus jumped when he heard the loud sound of Achilles' voice, but when he recognized the seriousness of his tone, he began to run in the direction his cousin went. Achilles quickly came into sight, and the young boy was startled to see that the great warrior was running as well.

Suddenly, they both heard the sound of an arrow being fired.

Achilles stopped in horror as the arrow came into view… when he heard Patroclus' cry of pain…

Patroclus fell to the forest floor, the arrow burning his right shoulder where it stuck fast. He closed his eyes tightly in pain, tears threatening to fall from behind his closed eyelids…

Achilles rushed to his cousin's side, holding him protectively in his arms. "Patroclus!" he cried, horrified to see how pale his face was. "Patroclus!"

Suddenly, he looked up into the trees above him when he heard another sound, and he found himself looking into the face of the man who had shot his cousin. The man's dark hair covered part of his face and his dark eyes stood out against his pale skin, but Achilles' eyes quickly ran over what he could see before the man disappeared, memorizing his features. He would be easier to track that way. How easy it would be to go after him and kill him now…

But his thoughts were brought back to his young cousin when he heard him softly whimper. The great warrior held Patroclus securely in one arm while he used his other hand to tightly grip the arrow. He took a deep breath, knowing that this action was going to hurt the young boy.

"_I'm sorry, Patroclus."_ Achilles thought before pulling the arrow out of his body as quickly but as gently as he could.

Patroclus cried out in pain from the sudden motion as he tried to sit up slightly, but then he leaned back against his cousin's chest as he lost hold of his consciousness. Achilles looked down at the arrow in a studying way, never seeing a kind quite like it before. Then, his heart nearly stopped in terror was he studied the arrow tip. He could see it under the layer of Patroclus' blood…

The arrow was poisoned.

**A/N**: Again, thanks for your patience. Thanks to Halo for helping me out with sorting the rest of the plot line out. Hopefully, I'll be able to update sooner this time. Thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated. Talk to you later!


End file.
